


Before the Hour

by 35linkmaster



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 09:14:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30137289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/35linkmaster/pseuds/35linkmaster
Summary: A series of one-shot stories set before the events of Twilight Princess.
Kudos: 4





	Before the Hour

When Ganondorf came to, he found he was in a very strange place. The sky had the hue of sunset yet with no sun to be seen, and clouds black as night filled its expanse. Not far off he saw strange buildings unlike anything in Hyrule. They had a tall monolithic design, and had strange glowing marks running down their sides. Just where was he?

The sages had tried to kill him, and any other day they would have succeeded. He glanced at the back of his hand, he knew what he’d seen. The Triforce, the very relic he had planned to claim before his capture had somehow been bestowed upon him. But what did that mean? Surely the gods were not so foolish as to bless the man who despises them so. But regardless of how, it’s the reason he’s still alive now. It gave him power the likes of which he’d never seen, he’d even managed to kill one of the sages. But then they did something, he felt some great force pulling at him from behind, and before he knew it he was here. The Triforce had saved his life, but as he looked at his hand it was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps if he removed his gauntlet…

But before he could test his theory, he began to feel an enormous pain, as if his body was being ripped to pieces. He glanced at his hand once more and this time he saw it, the golden light of the Triforce. Was it the cause of this unspeakable pain he was in? Regardless he had to fight through it. Someway somehow he had achieved his goal, and he would not die now before he could reap the reward. He slowly made his way to the structures ahead, it looked like a palace of some sort. But before he reached it he was met by two strange creatures. Their bodies were misshapen and an odd mix of black and white. They had markings similar to those on the buildings and wore strange masks over their faces.

“Outsider!” one of them yelled. Their speech patterns were strange yet they still spoke Hylian, perhaps he could explain himself.

“Wait, I have no wish to fight.” he said. But the guards didn’t seem to care. They moved towards him and where once their hands were empty, suddenly a spear appeared. He could probably deal with the two guards, but there were likely several more waiting inside the structure. He had no chance of survival in his current state. He had to run, but to where? They were on a floating island with nothing else in sight.

One of the guards struck with his spear, which Ganondorf swiftly parried, but the second followed up causing him to stumble backwards. Before he could recover the first guard attacked a second time, only through sheer luck did he avoid the attack. He had no choice, so with what little strength he had he dashed to the edge of the island. The guards were close behind and gaining fast, but before they could reach him Ganondorf threw himself over the edge into the seemingly endless void, the air rushing past him as the island grew smaller and smaller. If there was bottom, he hoped his newfound power would protect him like before.

* * *

This time Ganondorf woke up in a small building. It was quite plain, more of a shack really. Its walls poorly constructed form various planks and logs. The sharp pain from earlier had stopped, and the two guards from earlier were nowhere to be seen. Most of his armor had been removed, and he had fresh bandages covering his wound from the sages. He got up from the bed and made his way outside. The ground was covered in grass, trees littered the landscape, and he could see a river just downhill. It was quite different from the palace he first saw, but the sky remained the same ominous color.

“Ah finally awake?” Ganondorf shot a glance to his side to see another of those strange creatures sitting in a chair by the structure. He was quite short and round, and unlike the guards he met this one did not wear a mask and possessed strange glowing eyes. “You certainly aren’t like anyone I’ve ever met, you an outsider by any chance?”

Two of these beings had already tried to kill him without a second thought, he had to be wary. “I would have to know what I am an outsider from before I could answer that. Where am I, how did I get here, and what are you people, I’ve certainly never seen anything like you in Hyrule?”

The creature chuckled. “So you’re from Hyrule then? Well to answer the question of what we are, I’m sure you’ve heard the stories. An ancient tribe of magic users who tried to claim a sacred power back in Hyrule’s earliest days.”

Ganondorf’s eyes widened at this description. “You’re the interlopers.”

The creature frowned “Is that what they call us? Well these days we prefer to be called the Twili.”

He couldn’t believe it, he’d heard the legends but never did he expect to meet one of the sorcerers of old. But then a thought crossed his mind, if the legends were indeed true then it could only mean one thing. “It is said you were banished!”

The Twili smiled. “We were, which brings us to where you are and how you got here. This place is called the Twilight Realm, when our ancestors failed they were banished to this place.”

As he thought, this was a prison. And since the Twili seem to have been here for thousands of years, it seemed to be quite an effective one. Curse the sages. They couldn’t kill him so they sent him away and hoped he would rot. But perhaps not all was lost, after all he had something they didn’t. He gazed at his hand and his suspicions from earlier became conviction. Even though it was not glowing, the mark of the Triforce was indeed branded on his skin. “What is your name?” he asked.

“You can call me Valt, what about you?”

“My name is Ganondorf.”

* * *

For the next few days Ganondorf aided Valt in any way he could. During this time he learned as much as he could from Valt about the Twili. He still did not trust them, but they may yet prove useful to his escape. Of all the things he learned the most interesting was their form of government. Every citizen had proficiency in at least some magic, and whoever’s ability was strongest was chosen to rule. If he could find someone with enough power, then it could create some interesting opportunities for him.

For now though, his primary concern was his own condition. The wound from the sages had shown no sign of healing, yet he felt nothing from it, and it gave off an eerie pale light. On top of that the sharp pain from earlier continued to rear its ugly head, and with each day its frequency increased. If things continued he’d be in no shape to do anything. At least Valt was kind enough to provide food. There were no animals in this realm so all of the food came from a garden that Valt kept next to his house, but anything to keep his strength up was appreciated.

One night the two of them were having dinner together. He’d had made it a point not to say much during these moments, but Valt was quite persistent with his questioning. “Can I ask you something?” he said. “I know this is probably a bit personal, but what exactly did you do to get yourself thrown in here?”

Ganondorf scowled, he’d avoided this question before, but it was clear now Valt wasn’t going to stop until he got some form of answer. “My people lived in the desert. We suffered through the burning sun during the day, and the frigid chill of the night. All the while the people of Hyrule experienced luxuries denied to us. I was their leader, and I decided enough was enough. We tried to overthrow the kingdom. For years we gathered intelligence, made plans, and started amassing power. But it all fell apart, someone knew everything, and they managed to unravel my entire plan. Then my own people betrayed me. They sold me out to the Hylians, and before I knew it I was captured, and eventually sent here.” All of the time he spoke Valt just sat and listened. It wasn’t a lie by any means, but it was far from the complete truth.

Valt looked at him with a curious expression on his face. “Do you hate them?”

Ganondorf scoffed. “Don’t you? The Hylians are just as much part of your people’s history as they are part of mine. This realm is a cage, and while your people stay under lock and key the Hylians live their lives without a care in the world. Can you honestly say you do not hate them?”

Valt gave a frowned yet he spoke in his usual calm voice “There are many here who share that line of thought. But what could we do about it? We are trapped. And even if we weren’t, such thoughts would only lead us to repeat our ancestor’s mistakes. They had great power, yet all they ever used it for was the pursuit of even greater power.” Valt paused for a moment, and looked at him with a slight smile “You also have great power.” 

Ganondorf’s expression went stiff. “What do you mean by that?” he said, desperately trying to hide his surprise.

Valt chuckled “I think you know.” He got up from his chair, walked over to Ganondorf and gently grabbed his hand, removing the glove that had been covering it. “You tried your best to hide it, but you forget that I treated your wounds when you first arrived. I have seen this mark, but more importantly I know what it means.”

Ganondorf yanked his arm away “If you knew all of that then why help me? Why treat my injuries, why let me stay here, why not report me to the palace?”

“This power is a gift” Valt said. “I think you were chosen for something important, and with this power you are destined for greatness. I would hate to stall such a destiny.” Valt began to leave the room, but stopped for a moment at its exit. “However I do ask a favor in return for my kindness. Think hard about what you’ll do with your gift. Too many let hatred guide their actions, and if I regret anything from saving your life, it will be if you turn out no different.” Valt left the room, leaving Ganondorf alone with his thoughts.

* * *

About a week had passed since Valt had found him. The sharp pain had grown ever present, and even now Valt’s words weighed heavy on his mind. Could he really have been chosen for something? And if so, what was it?

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard some noise outside. It sounded as though Valt was speaking to someone. Ganondorf made his way closer to the doorway and listened as best he could.

“I told you, I haven’t heard anything of this intruder” Valt said.

Ganondorf did his best to peak out the doorway without being spotted. He saw the same two guards he’d met when he first arrived, and with them was another man. Unlike the other Twili his body type seemed much closer to that of the average Hylian, and he wore actual clothing other than a mask. “Do you doubt the capabilities of my magic?” the man said.

Valt began to speak. “Of course not but-“

“My magic tells me he is here. To question my skill is to question my authority. Now step aside.” The man pushed Valt aside as he and the guards began to enter the house. Ganondorf tried to hide but the house was quite small and nothing could truly conceal his presence. So it was not long before the guards found him.

“That’s him!” one of them shouted. And before Ganondorf could even try to fight back the strange man raised his hand, and suddenly chains emerged from the ground and began to restrain him. He tried to fight it but at his current strength he was no match for this kind of magic, and he eventually fell to the ground unable to move. The man began to move towards Ganondorf.

“That is enough!” Valt shouted, sprinting past the man and the guards to place himself between them and Ganondorf. In all his time here he’d never seen Valt this angry. “Lord Trak, an outsider this man may be, but he has done nothing to us Twili. You have no right to harm him!”

Trak laughed at this. “You’ve been harboring a fugitive and hindering an official investigation. Do not tell me what my right is!” without another word he gestured forward and the guards moved in, stabbing Valt through the chest with their spears. His body fell limp on the ground, and made no movement or sound.

“Secure the prisoner” Trak said. “I’ll be outside creating a portal back to the palace.”

The guards looked at him in confusion. “I thought we came here to eliminate the outsider.” One of them said.

Trak looked at Ganondorf and pointed towards his hand, the mark of the Triforce shining in all its brilliance. “That was before I saw this, I’m sure many at the palace will be quite fascinated with him. And of course you’ll be rewarded for your assistance.”

* * *

The guards had grabbed the magic chains and began to drag out Ganondorf, who at this point could do nothing but ponder all that had just happened. Valt was dead. Killed by his own people who didn’t even bat an eye. And now those same people were taking him prisoner.

Ganondorf looked around at the guards pulling him. _I was right to distrust them. The Twili, the Hylians, even my own people, they are all cruel, only someone strong enough can reign over them all. And now that I have that strength, these people are going to take it from me… No. I won’t let them. I won’t be at the mercy of others any longer, THAT IS NOT MY DESTINY!!!_

Just as Trak was about to finish creating the portal, he heard the shattering of metal from behind him. He quickly turned to see the outsider facing towards him, the chains that bound him were no more and he was laughing. “This is power of the sorcerers of old?” he asked. “Allow me to show you something far greater.” The mark on his hand grew brighter than ever before, his skin began to crack, and from those cracks emerged a mass of energy, almost like a golden flame. It consumed his body, and grew to an enormous size. The sheer scale of this power was unlike anything Trak had ever seen, and through all that energy he could still see the outsider’s haunting visage, laughing at him. The three of them ran, but the outsider quickly pursued. Trak watched as the two guards were consumed by his mass, their screams ringing in Trak’s ears. And in those last few moments he knew, this was no man, this was a demon.

* * *

Ganondorf hovered over the lifeless form of Valt. “To think I was nearly convinced.” he said. “For all your words of wisdom you could not even save yourself. But you were right about one thing. I am destined for greatness, and when I finally escape I shall fulfill that destiny.” Ganondorf then flew off in to the boundless twilight, his resolve stronger than ever before.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, I hope you enjoyed the first part of this series. This is my first time ever publishing something I've written, so I'm more than a little nervous. I want to be a professional author some day but I have no experience, so I thought this would be a good way for me to practice writing and get feedback from people to help me improve. So with that mind any constructive feedback you can give would be very appreciated. Thanks so much for reading and I hope you look forward to future entries in this series.


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